


be calm

by retts



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Concerned boyfriends are the cutest, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-06 03:53:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17338088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/retts/pseuds/retts
Summary: ‘Should he be doing this so soon?’ Dele asked the physio assigned to Eric once they met up with him. Eric stretched his arms above his head, breathing in the cold air and the smell of grass.‘Erm, yes, the doctor’s signed off on it and everything,’ said the physio, glancing uncertainly at Dele. Dele could be intimidating when he wanted to be although Eric’s first impulse was still to pinch his cheeks and keep him inside his pocket whenever he made that face.





	be calm

**Author's Note:**

> hahaha i feel like im flooding the deledier tag? should i apologise?? sorry not sorry tbh

‘Isn’t it too soon?’ asked Dele as they were having breakfast. He pointed his spoon at Eric. ‘You’re still recovering.’

Eric shrugged. ‘It’s reconditioning, you know how it goes.’

‘Yeah, for hamstrings and ankles but not for anything like surgery you had.’

‘I’m sure the physios know what they’re doing, Dele,’ said Eric with an amused smile, dropping a kiss on top of Dele’s hair as he passed him on his way to the sink.

 

 

‘Don’t push yourself too much, yeah?’ said Dele as they were unbuckling their seatbelts.

‘Yes,  _Mum_ ,’ said Eric, twisting back to grab the bags in the backseat. No pain at all. He got out of the car and went round the front to open Dele’s door for him.

Dele smiled and then scowled at him. ‘I’m serious, Eric.’

‘So am I. Aren’t you glad we’re training together again?’

‘I am,’ said Dele reluctantly.

‘I’ll be fine, Dele. I  _am_  fine or did you forget last night when we - ’

‘Shh, someone might hear you!’ Dele looked about the car park, giving Eric a light shove on the back. Eric stepped with the movement, laughing, and slung an arm across Dele’s shoulder.

‘You weren’t that concerned about being heard last night!’

‘Dier, shut up!’

 

 

‘Come on, move aside,’ said Dele, pushing his way through the well-wishers to stand next to Eric, who gave what he hoped was his last high five of the day. His wrist had begun to hurt. ‘Give the man some space.’

‘Looks like Dele’s got his good mood back,’ said Winks.

‘He was witherin’ away without you, mate,' said Stones.

Dele scowled. ‘Was not.’

‘Can I see the scar?’ asked Stones, hand going to Eric’s waist.

Eric lifted his shirt up and over his head. There was a chorus of  _oohs_  when they saw the incisions, three on Eric’s lower belly, no more than a centimetre long. The stitches had dissolved and the redness and bruising had gone away. Eric caught Dele staring at the scars with more honest distress than he would normally show in public. Eric quickly put on his jersey and tugged it down over his abdomen.

‘No pain anymore?’ asked Sonny, concerned.

‘No, mate, I’m right as rain,’ said Eric and reached down to touch his toes to show them. And Dele.

Harry nodded and patted Eric on the shoulder. ‘Good to have you back in one piece, Eric. Well, minus the appendix.’

 

 

‘Should he be doing this so soon?’ Dele asked the physio assigned to Eric once they met up with him. Eric stretched his arms above his head, breathing in the cold air and the smell of grass.

‘Erm, yes, the doctor’s signed off on it and everything,’ said the physio, glancing uncertainly at Dele. Dele could be intimidating when he wanted to be although Eric’s first impulse was still to pinch his cheeks and keep him inside his pocket whenever he made that face.

Eric grinned at Dele and nudged Dele’s knee with his foot. ‘Hear that, Delboy? The doctor signed off on it. Now, are you going to let me train in peace?’

 

 

‘Eric! Careful!’

 

 

‘Eric, your shoelaces, for fuck’s sake!’

 

 

‘Eric! It’s time for a break!’

 

 

‘Eric!’

 

 

‘Eric,’ said Harry, jogging up to him, eyebrows raising high when Eric jerked back to glare at him. ‘What?’

Letting out a long breath, Eric rubbed his forehead. ‘Sorry. It’s nothing.’

‘Dele driving you mad?’ Harry guessed with a knowing grin.

Eric shook his head. ‘That obvious?’

‘Lad’s got a pair of lungs on him and a sixth sense when it comes to you.’

‘Yeah.’ Eric grabbed the towel from the bench and wiped his face with it.

The smile faded from Harry’s face as he placed a hand on Eric’s shoulder. ‘You know he’s only worried about you, right? You should have seen his face when the gaffer told us what had happened to you - poor lad looked ready to cry and you know Dele, he’s not one for that sort of thing.’

Eric knew all too well what Harry meant. He’d been groggy from the anaesthesia to remember the first few hours after his surgery, but Dele’s first nightmare about it was sharply etched into his mind.

‘Still, Dele’s more relaxed now you’re back,’ said Harry, ‘hard as it is to believe with his constant fussing.’

‘You should see him at home,’ said Eric with a chuckle.

‘I can only imagine. Let’s go get lunch, yeah? Before Dele - ah, never mind, here he comes. Consistent, isn’t he?’

 

 

‘Oi, Dier, take it easy,’ and it was Dele again, magically appearing by Eric’s side with a water bottle in his hand. Eric was bent at the waist, hands on his knees, panting after a few last laps around the grounds. He straightened up, one hand clamped on his waist, and Dele’s face immediately fell.

‘Is it hurting? Are you alright? Should I call someone?’ he fretted, hands clutching at Eric’s shoulders.

Eric shook his head and grabbed Dele’s arm before he could raise hell. ‘S’fine, just a regular stitch.’

Dele watched him with bright, worried eyes. ‘You sure?’

‘Yeah. Come on, sit with me.’

Dele followed Eric down to the grass, handing over the water bottle. Eric took a deep glug and tossed it between his spread legs. His plucked at the grass and watched the rest of the team train though the intensity had passed as practice came to an end. Sonny and Lucas were passing the ball around and Skipp was doing keepy-uppy.

‘Fuck, I’m out of shape,’ said Eric with a rueful laugh.

‘Nah, mate,’ said Dele automatically, then smiled when he looked Eric up and down. ‘Yeah, alright, maybe slightly, but you’ve been out of it for three weeks.’

‘I hate feeling useless.’

‘You’re not. Well, you are right now, but soon you won’t be.’

‘I like how you defend me and insult me at the same time,’ said Eric, throwing a handful of crushed grass at him.

‘You’re welcome, Diet.’

Eric leant back on his hands and took a deep breath. ‘So, have you got it out of your system yet?’

Dele opened his mouth, looking annoyed, then said nothing. He wiped the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand, pulled at his snood with his fingers. ‘Are you angry?’ he eventually asked, embarrassment making him duck his head low. 

Eric shook his head and pressed their shoulders together. ‘It was annoying but I’m not angry with you. I would describe it as fondly exasperated.’

‘I might’ve gone a bit mental. Just a bit, mind you.’

‘Yeah? I’d hate to see you really go for it.’

Dele licked his lips and poked Eric’s foot with his. ‘Can’t blame me, Diet, you’re a danger to yourself and those around you. Someone has to make sure you dont do any more damage to yourself.’

‘And I reckon the responsibility falls to you, does it?’

‘As much as it burdens me, yes.’

‘Surely there’s someone else out there willing to do it, relieve you of this terrible work?’

Dele put his hand over his eyes to shade them and glanced around him. ‘Don’t see a queue forming anytime soon, mate.’ 

‘Then it’s just you, I suppose. I honestly couldn’t ask for better but tone it down a bit, please?’

Dele snorted and got to his feet, brushing off his ass before holding out a hand to Eric. ‘Up.’

Eric grabbed Dele’s hand and hauled himself up, grabbing the water bottle with his other hand. He refused to acknowledge how leaden his legs felt.  

‘Christ, you got heavy.’ Dele squeezed Eric’s hand before he let go, jogging ahead of him. He turned round and shouted, ‘Let’s whip you back into shape, hmm? No more coddling, I promise. This time I’ll work you until you wish you were back in hospital!’

‘Dele,’ Eric called after him with a frown, ‘you don’t have to go that far!’

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> <333 but if you could leave a little kudos for me? :)
> 
> clarespace.tumblr.com


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